Bics Vs Calps

The concept developed by Jim Cummins to make a distinction between a non complex social interactional language ability (BICS) and the more complex academic language ability. (See CALP). BICS has been described as ‘Playground English’ and represents the easier to pick up, small chunks of language the students are able to use first.  [Read more]

(See BICS). Cummins contrasted the Academic skills, both productive and receptive, with the playground language. Skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking which would be required to study academically in a course taught in English.  [Read more]

  The three words lightening, lightning and lighting are easily confused by English learners and even native speakers. Let's take a look at the differences. Lightening is the present participle of the verb to lighten describing the action of making something less heavy. A good example would be "I was lightening the load on my horse because it was exhausted." Lightning refers to a streak of static electricity through the sky usually accompanied by thunder, as here "I was struck by lightning while playing golf in a storm." Lighting is the arrangement of light especially in photography. A suitable example for this would be "The photo was dull because the lighting wasn't good enough". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda explains the differences between "assure", "insure" and "ensure". They not only sound similar, but those three words also make an outcome sure but they are in no way interchangeable. "Assure" is used to speak out a promise or say something with confidence, for example "I assure you that he is a great lawyer". "Ensure" is used to make something certain, such as here: "Please ensure that you will be home at five o'clock today"."Insure" means to protect an object against risk by buying an insurance policy from an insurance company, like here: "I insure my television because it was expensive". Once you have realized the three different meanings and usages, there is no way you'll confuse them again. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one...  [Read more]

  "They're", "their" and "there" are three words that are often used incorrectly. "They're" is simply the contracted form of "they are". "Their" is a possessive and indicates ownership of something. "There" indicates a place. Due to the Internet and instant messaging, the three words have been icreasingly used incorrectly. However, if you'd like to use them correctly, you should keep their meanings in mind. When trying to decide which word to use remember that "they're" = they are, "their" = ownership and "there" = place. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between "look", "see" and "watch". The differences surrounding these three words can be quite difficult to understand for non-native English learners. However, this video looks at the three words in detail breaking down exactly how to differentiate between them. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit explains how to strike the right balance of TTT and STT, how to optimise the seating...  [Read more]

The most generic term for the field of teaching English is ELT. This simply means: English Language Teaching. ELT is a large area, and there are many subdivisions and specialisms. One subdivision is the teaching of English to learners whose first language is not English. The three terms most commonly seen here are TESOL, TEFL and TESL. A lot of confusion exists around these terms and in particular the question of TESOL vs TEFL, which leads to a number of inevitable questions. You might ask… In looking at these various terms we will show that the idea of comparing one against the other, i.e. “TESOL vs TEFL” isn’t very helpful. So what do they mean? When the English teaching takes place in a country where the predominant language is not English, such as teaching English in Germany or...  [Read more]

  In this video, Linda explains the difference between "then" and "than" two words often confused by native and non-native English speakers alike. "Than" is a conjunction used for comparisons, such as here: "Her car is faster than yours". "Then", on the other hand, is an adverb used to situate actions e.g. "I did my homework, then I had a nap?. As you can see, the usages of the two words is very different and cannot be used interchangeably. Keep their differences in mind and you'll not make any mistakes in the future. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'If I were' and 'If I was' as their usage is often confused. 'If I was' is used for things that could have happened in the past or now, for example: If I was rude, I apologize. 'If I were', however, is used when we speak about imaginary situations or things that are contrary to fact, such as here: If I were a dog, I would sleep all day. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I currently work with adults. This...  [Read more]

  In this video, we break down the difference between the usage of "for" and "since". Both of these words are used when talking about time, which is why they often cause confusion for many English learners. However, the difference in the usage of the two words is actually qutie easy. The word "since" is used when referring to a point or exact moment in time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house since 2005. The year 2005 is a point or exact moment in time and therefore, we need to use 'since'. "For", on the other hand, is used for a period or duration of time, such as in this example: I have been living in this house for 12 years; 12 years is a duration of time, and therefore we need to use 'for'. As you can see, all you need to do is figure out whether you are...  [Read more]

  "Your" and "you're" often get confused, not only by English learners around the world but also by many native English speakers. Let's break it down. "Your" is a possessive adjective that indicates ownership, while "you're" is simply the contraction of "you are". Let's take a look at this example sentence: Your grades are great this semester. In this case, we use 'your' as we use it to indicate ownership. You're the best student in the entire school! This example require us to use 'you're' because it is the short form for 'you are'. Should you not be sure which one to use, think about if you want to express ownership or of you want to say "you are". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

  This presentation is going to focus on the theories, methods and techniques of teaching and we're going to start with a quote. This is an interesting quotation because it contains within it a philosophical argument and it's a philosophical argument in the way in which we learn. Basically, this one is saying that the intelligence of their own children comes about due to a natural process. So this one could be said to be due to nature. This is exactly the opposite of this one, which is saying that they're teaching the environment that we create, creates that intelligence. So this one can be said to be due to nurture and this argument 'nature versus nurture' has been going on for thousands of years. These two viewpoints are two ends of a scale, or a continuum if you like, and every...  [Read more]

  This video focuses on the difference between the usage of "bring" and "take". These two words often cause confusion, especailly for English learners. It is important to consider the direction in order to determine which word to use. The word "bring" describes the movement of something toward a specified location, such as in this sentence: Can you bring some snacks to the party tonight? The word "take" on the other hand generally describes the movement of something away from a location, such as here: Do you want to take any leftovers home? As you can see, it's quite easy to determine the correct word to use in a sentence when considering the direction you are referring to. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'interested' and 'interesting'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Interesting' describes the people or things that cause the feeling of interest to someone, for example: Today's lesson about world history is very interesting. 'Interested', on the other hand, describes how someone feels, such as here: I am very interested in learning another language. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'defuse' and 'diffuse'. Their similar spelling and pronunciation make them a word pair that is often confused. The word 'defuse' refers to the action of making a situation less harmful or tense, whereas 'diffuse' means to spread over a wide area. Watch the video for detailed examples on the two words. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This was a well-presented unit. I found it to be very informative, it...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'adapt' and 'adopt'. Due to their similar spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Adapt' describes the action of taking something and changing it for a special purpose, for example: A screenwriter successfully adapts the book to make it work as a movie. The word 'adopt', on the other hand, refers to the action of taking something and using it or making it your own, such as here: Because they couldn't have children of their own, they decided to adopt a child. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'lose' and 'loose'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. 'Lose' spelled with one 'o' is a verb and means to fail to keep, to fail to win or to fail to make money. Such as in these three examples for each meaning: 1) To fail to keep: I will lose weight but also my hair. 2) To fail to win: I'm expected to lose this game. 3) To fail to make money: I will lose a fortune. The word 'loose' spelled with double 'o', on the other hand is not a verb but an adjective. It means not tight, or free from constraint. A suitable example sentence for the word 'loose' would be: 'These trousers are loose.' We hope this explanation helped you and next time you'll know exactly which word to use. Below you...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda discusses the difference between two words that are often confused: "borrow" and "lend". Because the two words have similar meanings it makes it hard to identify the correct word, especially for non-native speakers. The difference is solely down to perspective. "Borrow" is a verb that means to receive something from someone with the expectation that you will return it to them. While "lend" is also a verb, it means to give something to someone with the expectation that they will give it back to you. Therefore, you need to make sure you use the right word depending on the perspective. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that...  [Read more]

  In this video Linda breaks down the difference between "in time" and "on time". Due to the fact that both expressions revolve around time, they can be quite difficult to distinguish. However, this video provides helpful examples and explanations that will help EFL teachers and students alike to grasp the difference. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I enjoyed this unit. I really like when the units include examples of ways to teach the parts...  [Read more]

  The two words "lay" and "lie" are often confused for each other, which is why we decided to break down the differences in this video. "Lay" is what is called a transitive verb. That means, it needs to be followed by one or more objects. A good example sentence would be "I lay the book on the table". As you can see, lay is followed by ""on the table"". We couldn't only say "I lay the book." as it would be incomplete. This means it is transitive. "Lie" on the other hand is an intransitive verb. That means it doesn't take an object, for example "I lie down". Most errors have to do with the past tenses of the two verbs, as the past tense of "lie" is "lay" while the past tense of "lay" is "laid". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online...  [Read more]